A true Hufflepuff
by qwanderer
Summary: A different perspective on Chamber of Secrets, kind of silly
1. Witchcraft and Wizardry

ONE  
Witchcraft and wizardry  
I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own any part of the Chamber of Secrets. This has no plot, is really silly and is basically just about what would happen if I went to Hogwarts. But I like it. And Ginny needed a friend, I had to come.  
***  
Miss S. Wellington  
112 Baker Street  
London  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)  
  
Dear Miss Wellington,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress  
My name is Serena Wellington. Before I got this letter, I had no idea there was such a thing as magic. I might have hoped there was, but my parents are both scientists, and magic just isn't mentioned a lot in our house. I'd read fairy tales, but they were just, well, fairy tales. This was a letter. It had to have come from somewhere. And in with this letter and the list of supplies was a note explaining, for people who had never heard of it before, where the Leaky Cauldron was and how to get to Platform 9¾. I don't remember much of the following weeks; I spent a lot of it reading parts of A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot. As it turned out, this was a good idea. I didn't learn much in the class.   
I finally found myself sitting in the Hogwarts Express, next to a second year named Susan Bones. After we had introduced ourselves, she said, "This is your first year, isn't it? How much do you know about Hogwarts?"  
"I'd never heard of it until my letter came, but I've read a little about it," I replied.  
"Do you know about the four houses? Any idea which one you'll be in?"  
"I've just read the names, so I have no idea how to tell which one I'll go to. Can you tell me about them?"  
She explained them all, and made them all sound pretty good. She was not partial, and I couldn't tell which one was hers.  
"I think I may belong in Ravenclaw," I said. "My parents are both very smart in their own nonmagical world, and I am like them in that way. But I kind of liked the sound of Hufflepuff too."  
"Really?" she exclaimed. "I'm in Hufflepuff, but most people think it's the absolute worst. We never win anything, they say, we are never recognized. But I like being in Hufflepuff. They're a lot of really great people."  
"Well, I hope I am just and loyal and all those things you said. But I guess we'll see soon. Can you tell me some more about Hogwarts?"  
"Sure!" she said. "It's in this huge, old, beautiful castle, with a forest and a lake outside of it. My favorite class is Herbology; we have that with Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff house. She's nice, when she's not in one of her grumpy moods. She's a great teacher and she knows so much about the magical properties of plants..."  
We got off the train, and I said goodbye to Susan as the first years were called to the shore of the lake. I rode across in a little boat with a quiet girl named Ginny Weasley, and two boys who were already in rapt conversation with each other. I got Ginny to tell me about the sorting ceremony.  
"My older brothers Fred and George used to tell us rubbish about wrestling trolls and hanging by your ears while reciting the alphabet backwards, but when Ron came to Hogwarts last year, he let me in on the truth. You just have to try on a hat, and it yells out what house you're most suited to. It's nothing frightening, and I'm sure to be in Gryffindor like all my brothers. You can never tell, though. Ron says there are twin sisters in his year who are in different houses. What about you?"  
"Well, I'm not sure. I thought I was a sure bet for Ravenclaw, but I might be in Hufflepuff. I don't really know that much about the houses, though, because I didn't know I was a witch before this year."  
"Oh, your parents are Muggles?" she said. "What's that like?"  
"Muggles? What's that mean?"  
"Oh! Yes! You wouldn't know that, would you? How funny. Muggles are non-magical people. My dad studies them, but he still gets very confused about some things."  
Then we saw the castle. It had loomed right over us as we talked. It was a beautiful towering mass of glowing windows. We got out of the boats and walked across the wide green lawn. Through the huge wooden doors, and through a high entrance hall, into the great hall with its floating candles. I wondered if that could be done with modern science; invisible supports, or something. But they bobbed up and down. Oh dear! This is really magic, isn't it? I thought.   
Then the hat started singing.  
For centuries I've sat right here.  
Ten thousand children have gone by.  
For all of them I've known the place.  
I'll always know; I cannot lie.  
A Hufflepuff will always be  
A loyal and a steadfast friend.  
In every task they'll do their share;  
Injustice they will seek to mend.  
Determined is a Slytherin  
To gain the goal for which they've fought.  
Ambition drives them to their goal.  
When others hesitate, they'll not.  
The wisdom of a Ravenclaw  
Is known to those in every land.  
The ones I choose for this fair house  
Solve every puzzle that's at hand.   
And those who're bound for Gryffindor:  
From danger they will never swerve.  
Their noble deeds will gain them praise  
Through daring act and steady nerve.  
One by one, we came to the front of the room to try on that grubby hat. Ginny and I were two of the last in alphabetical order, so we held each other's hands and watched as Colin Creevey joined Gryffindor, Moira Peterson went to Hufflepuff, and Ivy Parkinson joined Slytherin. Finally it was Ginny's turn. Her brothers waved at her from the Gryffindor table; I could tell because they had bright red hair. But there were only three of them. Where was this Ron Weasley, a year ahead of us?   
Ginny went and tried on the hat, and it quickly yelled, GRYFFINDOR! A smile lit her face, and she ran to join her brothers. I was the only one left. I looked to the Hufflepuff table, and Susan smiled at me. I heard my name, and I sat down to try on the hat. I heard a rough, whispery voice in my ear. "Well, now. Well, now. What a wonderful mind. But that is just the beginning. You're certainly noble, and you can be brave, too; You're not bad at deceiving when it suits your aims; But where do you really belong? I think... (and the voice filled the room) HUFFLEPUFF!"  
I jumped off the stool, and went and hugged Susan. "You were right," she said. "That's wonderful!"  
The headmaster, Dumbledore, said a few words (Umbra! Twitter! Cornice! Inkling! Stint!), and suddenly the golden plates were filled with food. I spread Marmite thickly on my baked potatoes, and only collected a few funny looks. It was the mustard on my salad that finally made those around me comment, "Is that really good?" I just grinned and enjoyed my meal. I was starting to feel at home in Hufflepuff.  
Moira was sitting next to me, and she told me about her family, and how they had always been wizards. Her father was a magical historian, doing research into ways to restore knowledge of the past that was thought to be lost forever. He had done extensive research on their family tree, and the way magical traits move through a family. "For example, my particular line has always had an uncle who was destined to die violently and mysteriously, but escape at the last second, only to trip over his toes and fall off a cliff the next Thursday. It's fascinating stuff, really."  
Afterwards we were led to our common room. Up two flights of stairs, and down a long corridor, through a secret door behind a tapestry, we came to a little round wooden door, with a bronze knocker shaped like a pig. The prefect knocked, and the pig came to life and said, "Password?"   
The prefect answered, "Melon balls," and chuckled. The door opened wide, and we entered the most beautiful room I had ever seen. It had six sides, and the three opposite the door had large windows looking out on the lake. The walls and vaulted ceiling were the same golden stone as many of the rooms in the castle. Next to the door was a big, cozy fireplace. And everywhere, on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, standing on the floor, and even floating in midair, were delicate wrought iron lamp holders, with oil lamps and candles burning in them. The prefect, Douglas Perkin, pointed out the archways in the other two walls, either side of the fireplace. "On the left, the hallway leads to girls' dormitories, and on the right, boys'. All of your trunks are in the appropriate rooms."  
I went and met my new roommates. Moira Peterson had the bed next to mine. I got into bed happy and excited, almost too excited to sleep. I was going to learn magic! Learn to fly, and to use my wand. The words, "Scientifically impossible," no longer meant anything to me. I was a witch! But even better, I had so many new friends! 


	2. Gryffindor and Slytherin

TWO  
Gryffindor and Slytherin  
***  
The next day, I was very excited about my classes. But I came down to breakfast, and the rumors going around distracted me from these thoughts. Harry Potter, whom I had read about in the modern history section of my book, and, yes, Ron Weasley, had flown a car to school. That's why they weren't at the feast. They were being disciplined. During that meal, I also learned, rather violently, what a Howler is. We all heard Weasley's mum yell at him, and confirm the rumors totally. It was a very dangerous and foolhardy thing to do, but the Gryffindors were all bragging about it. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in a house where you have to do that kind of thing to get attention. I decided that I didn't think I liked this Potter. Especially later in the day, when I saw Professor Sprout covered in bandages from doctoring a tree that had been damaged in their "grand entrance."   
But in Herbology the next day, I sat next to Ginny. She wasn't so excited about it. In fact she was rather grumpy. We all knew from that Howler that her father was in trouble at work for it, and she was upset about how people were reacting. "I'm tired of just being around Gryffindors who think the whole thing is a colossal joke," she said. "The only one of the lot of them (except my brother Percy, of course), who isn't all puffed up about it is Harry. I don't think he meant to cause so much trouble." I thought, Woah, she's falling for him. But I shall still have to rethink my opinion of this Potter.  
Potions class, we had with the Ravenclaws. I sat next to Moira. She'd warned me that everybody said Snape was the worst teacher in the whole school. "Worse than Professor Binns?" I asked, thinking about my history of magic class.   
"Well, not as boring, but yes, worse. At least that's what my brother says." So we sat down, determined not to let him get to us. He came in and glared at us for a while, then gave us a lecture on what hopeless students we were destined to be. We took some notes, then we started our first potion. I was, basically, hopeless. It isn't like chemistry, it's about magical properties and their combinations. I just didn't have the instinct for it. It's not about living plants themselves, or living animals. It's about taking the magic of those things and bending it to your own will. No wonder Slytherins always get the best grades.   
Throughout the lesson, Professor Snape took several points from Hufflepuff for my mistakes. Moira helped me through, and she told me not to worry. "They're just points, after all," she said. "They don't really mean anything."  
I especially enjoyed Transfiguration classes, and did very well in them. It's the one thing I've learned, in science, cannot be done; A person, made of so much matter, turning into a cat, made of less, then back into a person. There's no conservation of energy involved in any magic. It fascinates me. I may go into magical theory when I graduate from Hogwarts. But while sitting in Transfiguration one day, I realized that I wanted to be an Animagus. To transform myself into something with a completely different set of abilities. That would be amazing!   
I realized I would have to think carefully about what kind of animal I wanted to become. I already knew that I loved flying; flying lessons I loved too. I could be some kind of bird. But birds can't do much besides flying. Maybe a bat? Yes, that's perfect! Wings and hands, extraordinary hearing, and certainly it will be easier because it's a mammal! And I had studied bats; my attic room on Baker Street had bats, and I had gotten used to them.   
I was the first person in my class to perform a successful transfiguration. But I knew that it would take a lot of time and work before I would be qualified to become an Animagus. After I went through my O. W. L. in Transfiguration, I would be able to apply. But I figured I might as well start learning. I got out books on advanced transfiguration and Animagi from the library.   
I was sitting in the common room reading my library books, when Justin Finch-Fletchley, a boy in the class above me, came up to me and said, "Oi, Serena! Don't you do anything but read?"  
"Sometimes," I said. "But this is really fascinating. Did you know that there was once a man who turned himself into a tree?"  
"That is sort of cool," Justin said. "But, hey, do you want to play Exploding Snap or something?"  
"I don't know," I said. "I've never played before, and everyone else seems to be so good at it."  
"That's all right," he said. "I only learned to play last year. My parents are muggles too."  
"Really?" I asked. "Isn't it strange to read all this stuff about how magic's been going on around us all this time and we've never noticed?"  
"Yeah, but isn't it even stranger to see it? I mean, books are just words on a page. Look! Exploding Snap! It explodes!"  
"Yeah. All right, then, let's play," I agreed.  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts scared me when I first saw it on the list of courses. I didn't want to have to defend myself against anything dark and scary! But I had to resign myself to the fact that if there was such a wonderful and useful thing as magic, people were going to take advantage of it for evil purposes. After all, think what Muggles have done with their media of communication. So I was ready to learn how to defend myself against those people. But when we started having class with Gilderoy Lockhart, all he did was read to us from his books about the daring things he had apparently done. I don't want to disbelieve a Hogwarts teacher, but I wonder just how much he's exaggerating. Anyway, I decided that the course was not going to be much use, and that when I had the chance, I'd do some research on my own.   
  
At Halloween, a rather annoying cat that had belonged to Mr. Filch was found petrified. A message was written on the wall, something about the chamber having been opened. I wasn't really worried; I was sure the teachers could take care of it. But Ginny was upset, especially because Potter and her brother had found the cat, and the rumors were that Potter was the Heir of Slytherin, and responsible for the trouble. From what she'd told me about this Potter, I was more afraid that he'd try to take matters into his own hands, to try and prove he wasn't the Heir, and get himself in even deeper trouble. Last year nobody except Ron and that Granger girl knew what he was up to until it was all over and he'd nearly killed himself trying to stop Voldemort by himself. I told Ginny this, and I said, "Gryffindors can be so stubborn. They won't ask for help; they want to do everything for themselves. If they are going to be expelled, it's because they're Gryffindors, not because everyone thinks they're Slytherins."  
The first Quidditch match of the season was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I was excited to come, because I'd never seen a real Quidditch match. The most flying I'd watched was in first-year flying lessons, and nobody in my class could control their brooms the first lesson. A couple of the Ravenclaws got all huffy about it, and kept saying that flying wasn't at all how the books describe it. I like flying, but it's hard to find someone it comes naturally to. I'd heard that Potter was one of those few, and that he'd been on the team his first year, which is very uncommon. I was eager to watch him.  
Ginny, Susan and I walked toward the pitch. Ginny was very excited about seeing Harry play, and of course she said it was because he was on her house team, but she was blushing when she said it. Susan told me that she didn't know very much about Quidditch, but she could tell that Harry was really good. I wasn't sure who to cheer for. I didn't know either of the teams very well. I had heard things about Slytherins, and how all the most evil wizards came from that house. But people were also saying that Potter was Slytherin's heir and he's a Gryffindor, so one of the rumors was messed up. I decided to wait and see them play, and cheer on the better players.   
I wasn't sure what a Quidditch match was supposed to look like, but as soon as the game got going, I knew it wasn't this. One of the big black balls, the Bludgers, was chasing Potter all over the pitch. I knew I couldn't have avoided it that long. He was really good - and fast. I never imagined brooms could go that fast. But it was frightening to watch, and Ginny's knuckles were white from holding on to the bench. "Don't worry," I said. "Look, they're calling time out. They're going to fix it."  
The Gryffindor team stood in a huddle and discussed what to do. Then they broke apart and mounted their brooms again. "What are they doing?" I cried. "They can't have fixed it just standing there!"   
Ron Weasley, who was sitting on the other side of Ginny, said, "They'd have to call off the match to do that. Wood wouldn't call it off just because his seeker's in danger of being beheaded. He prob'ly told Harry to get the Snitch or die trying."  
I rolled my eyes. "Gryffindors! Why can't you at least risk your life for something that's worth it?"  
We watched the gut-wrenching dance of an animated cannonball and a small boy on a broom. The boy paused for a moment - the snitch! Practically on Malfoy's head! But the moment was too long. Crunch! Swish! Thud! Harry had the Snitch, but he was down. His arm was at a funny angle. There was some commotion, and Gilderoy Lockhart went to try to help him. We found out later that he'd accidentally removed all the bones from Harry's arm!  
There was no question as to who was the better player. The odds were vastly in Malfoy's favor at every turn, and Potter still got the Snitch. But talent isn't everything. Potter was a foolish show-off. The question is, is it better to be a spineless coward than a boneless hero?  
Malfoy's remarks during the game, however, did not strike me as being very sportsmanlike. Potter may take himself too seriously, but at least he doesn't take others lightly. I can see how Ginny could fall for him. Everybody likes to be taken seriously. Especially if they live with those clowns of older brothers. 


	3. Toil and Trouble

THREE  
Toil and Trouble  
***  
I was sitting by the fire, reading a book about bats and why they make good familiars. Susan was sitting next to me, knitting. It was the beginning of December, and many of the Hufflepuffs were now wearing hats that she had made. Professor Sprout had one that was moss green and nearly as fluffy as her hair. The professor said that she wore it nearly constantly, as she spent so much time outside and between the greenhouses. Moira Peterson was doing her History of Magic homework. She was writing about the history of Centaur-Human relations, and why they are so difficult, especially because it seems most Centaurs don't think anything really matters.   
Ernie Macmillan came in and told us that one of the students had been attacked and frozen. "Colin Creevey - you know, that first-year Gryffindor who's always following Harry around with his camera." The Hufflepuff common room was hushed as Ernie told his story, and only then did I start to realize that there was real danger in these attacks, and there might really be an Heir of Slytherin lurking around, looking for people with Muggle parents. I felt faintly afraid, but I didn't want to waste time worrying about something I really had no hope of changing, especially when there were so many other things to do.   
Shortly before Christmas break, there was a dueling club announced. Justin wanted to go, and I came to watch and cheer him on. I didn't think I wanted to be involved in a wizard duel; all I knew about them, I saw in The Sword in the Stone when I was little. I didn't know how to turn into a virus yet. So I sat on the sides, absorbing the demonstrations, and watching the little disasters happen. Then everyone watched as Malfoy and Potter started dueling. A large snake appeared out of Malfoy's wand. Subsequent events(named Gilderoy Lockhart) turned it into a large maddened snake. It slid away - toward Justin! I looked around. Nobody knew what to do! But then Potter rushed toward the snake. He was sort of - hissing. But he looked as afraid as anyone else. The snake, which was about to strike, suddenly relaxed, and turned its head to Potter. What is he doing, I thought. Does he want to get bitten?   
"What do you think you're playing at?" Justin shouted at him, and ran from the hall. I went after him. We went to the common room, and found Ernie sitting by the fire. Justin said urgently, "Potter's a Parselmouth! He tried to sic a snake on me! I'm doomed!" He flopped down on the couch.  
Ernie's eyes widened. He swore. "That's done it, then. Potter's the Heir, no question."  
"What does that mean, Parselmouth?" I asked. "Why does that make him the Heir?"  
Ernie turned to me. "Being able to talk to snakes. It's the sure sign of a dark wizard. And not only that; Salazar Slytherin was known for it." He spoke to Justin again. "Don't leave the common room. If he sees you again, he'll be sure to try to finish you off."  
"But Ernie," I said, "Haven't there been any good wizards who could talk to snakes?"  
"I never heard of any. Why? You got a soft spot for Potter?"  
"I just don't think it's that simple. I was there, and he looked as scared as any of us about that snake."   
"In any case," said Ernie, "I think it would be a good idea if you stayed out of sight for a couple of days, Justin."  
The next morning, Justin still refused to leave the common room. His Herbology class had been canceled, so he figured Potter could be anywhere. I brought him some breakfast when I went up to get my books for Transfiguration. I told him, "You can't be sure he's after you, you know. Most people think Potter is very nice. And Ginny Weasley, in my Herbology class, insists it's not him. She knows him fairly well; he stayed at her house part of last summer."  
"I know," he said. "I used to think he was nice too. But now I don't know what to think."  
"All I'm saying is, you should wait until you know more before you assume that it's him."  
He looked thoughtful, and then said, "Yes, I guess I'll just have to prove it." And he left the common room with a determined stride.   
I couldn't believe it when Ernie told me. He'd seen Justin, lying petrified, another victim beside him, and Harry Potter, standing looking at them. Maybe Potter was the Heir.  
I didn't want to admit to Ginny how much I doubted what she believed so strongly. Especially because she was taking it really hard. She was upset at her brothers for teasing Harry about being the Heir, treating the accusation as if it were a joke. She was acting really strange, too, sort of jumpy.  
When we got back from the Christmas holidays, we were very busy in Herbology class, because of the day we had missed. When I got a chance to talk to Ginny, she wasn't as jumpy as she had been, but she was still pretty depressed. I asked her if she was all right. She said, "Oh," and her eyes got bright.   
"What's the matter, Ginny?" I asked.   
"Oh, it's just that - everyone thinks Harry's the heir, and I know, I absolutely know, that he's not. That must be especially hard for you to believe. Are you very good friends with Justin?"  
"I so much want to believe you, Ginny," I said, "But Ernie is just so convinced, and he's getting everyone else to believe that he's the Heir. I wish I could be as sure as you."  
Ginny burst into tears, and big drops splashed into her infusion of runnadyke leaves. Professor Sprout interrupted her lecture on the magical properties of the common purple-flowered plant to excuse Ginny from the rest of class. I asked the professor if I could go with her, and she agreed. She knew I would catch up on my work.   
We went up to the castle and sat in a corner against the outside walls. "What is it, Ginny?" I asked again.  
She looked at me with haunted eyes. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you. It's all over now. If you'll promise not to tell anyone. Do you want to know how I know that Harry's not the one opening the chamber?" I nodded. "I am," she said, and more tears streamed down her cheeks.  
"What do you mean?" I said. I was beginning to be afraid.  
She told me about finding the diary, and writing in it, and meeting Tom. "And then the attacks started, and I realized I didn't know where I was when they happened. But I didn't understand, until recently, that Tom was the one making me do it! The date on the diary is from fifty years ago - I heard Ron saying that's when the chamber was opened before! So I flushed the diary down the toilet, and it's over, it's finally over!"  
I sat by her while she cried some more, and I told her, "It's not your fault. Everything's going to be fine, once the mandrakes are grown. Nobody got really hurt. And it's not your fault." 


	4. Spinning Secrets

FOUR  
Spinning Secrets  
***  
A few days after Easter, Hufflepuff had a Quidditch match against Gryffindor. As everyone walked out to the stands, I looked for Ginny, but I couldn't find her. She always comes out to watch Harry play. He's a great Quidditch player. I wish I could fly like him. But today I couldn't find Ginny. She's usually easy to spot, with her bright red hair, but she didn't seem to be there. I asked her brother Percy if he had seen her, and he said he hadn't. "Not since breakfast; actually, she left in quite a hurry." He looked around, and said, "That's funny. By any chance, have you seen a Ravenclaw girl named Penelope? She doesn't seem to be here either."  
"No, I haven't," I said, and I was starting to feel distinctly nervous. Thinking back, I realized Ginny had been slightly fidgety the last few weeks, maybe since Valentine's day. She said it was because she was worried that Harry suspected her of sending a horrendous singing valentine that he had received. I still wanted to believe that was the only reason. But as soon as the players came onto the pitch, my fears were confirmed. Professor McGonagall came out onto the field, and announced that the game had been cancelled. Everyone was told to return to their dormitories.   
In the confusion and muddle that followed, I went inside, and towards the hallway where the other attacks had happened. I found Ginny in a deserted corridor.   
"It happened again, didn't it? How, Ginny?"   
"Serena!" she cried. Ginny grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to her. She held out a small, shabby book. I recognized it as the diary and flinched away from it. "You have to take it," she said urgently, and her voice was full of fear. "If I keep it, something even worse will happen. You can't let me do that!"  
I reluctantly took the book, and she sagged against the wall in relief. "But how did you get it back?" I asked. "I thought it was gone forever!"  
"So did I," she said, and she was nearly sobbing. "But then, on Valentine's Day, Harry dropped his bag in the hall, and - Serena, he had the diary! What if he had learned what I'd been doing? What if - the same thing happened to him? And someone found out? No one would be able to deny that he was the Heir! I had to get it back - but as soon as I did, I lost control again! Serena, just keep it? And everything will be fine."  
She looked so desperate, and she was right. If she kept it, only worse could happen. "All right," I said. "I'll keep it."   
I stuffed it into my bag, and then Professor Flitwick came down the hall. He was muttering to himself sadly, and at first he didn't see us. But he looked up just as he approached us, and said, "Oh! Dear me. You first-years should be in your dormitories. Go on, then!" and we skittered away. When our ways parted, we looked back at each other, she with thanks, and I with determination.   
When I got back to the Hufflepuff common room, most everyone was there already, and Ernie had taken his customary place in front of the fire. I sat down near him, and asked, "What happened? Is everyone all right?"  
"Two people were petrified," he said. "Penelope Clearwater, and - Hermione Granger."  
"Ernie, you know Potter would never do that. It can't be him."  
"I know, Serena. But it just seemed so much like it had to be him."  
"Yes, but next time you see him in Herbology, you should apologize to him. It couldn't have been very nice, having everyone think you're the Heir when you're not."  
"I will," he said.   
Later Ernie told me something strange. When he was in Herbology, he worked with Potter and Weasley. He had apologized to Harry, as I'd said. Suddenly Harry had hit Ron with his pruning shears, and said, "Look!"   
He was pointing to a line of spiders crawling through the grass outside. Ron looked at them, and according to Ernie, he said, "Oh, yeah, but we can't follow them now…"  
Then Harry said, "Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest…"  
I wondered what they were up to, and how much they knew about the Chamber and the diary. It sounded to me like they were getting themselves into deep trouble.  
But what else are you supposed to do when you're already in trouble like this?   
I sat in my dormitory, by the window, with Riddle's diary and my Transfiguration books. I can't just sit here with this thing, this evil diary, and not do anything to help Ginny! But I can't tell the teachers. I promised, and for all I know they would expel her! I have to think; I have to find out more! But how do I do that, when I can't go anywhere without a teacher following me? I sighed. I wondered how Harry was planning on getting out to follow the spiders. Everyone's got their own way of breaking rules, I guess, when they feel it has to be done. I couldn't get out of the dormitory to get a broom to fly out of the dormitory. There had to be another way. I looked at my books again. I knew the theory. I knew about bats. I was good at Transfiguration. If anything happened to me, it couldn't be much worse than the dilemma I was already in. I was determined to try. For Ginny.  
I opened the window, and I thought bat. Long, long finger bones, claws, small furry black body, big ears, blind eyes, webbings of thin black skin….  
I was desperately flapping my arms to keep from falling; I didn't know where I was going! I screamed. A bat's shriek reflected in my big bat ears, and it told me - I could see! And I was gliding over the castle, past the echoing towers, seeing every insect through the noise it made. It was amazing! But I remembered my mission. I headed toward the forest.   
When I got to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, I stopped and clung to a tree to look for spiders. Or listen. But any that were there blended in with the ground, and the grass and all the little plants. I decided that the only thing to do was turn human again. I flapped down to the ground, and thought human. Big, long legs, big head and small ears, pink but wearing a black cloak with a wand in the pocket, long hair the color of rose-gold. I couldn't hear the forest any more, and I blinked my eyes and couldn't see it either. Blind as a bat, I laughed, and took out my wand. "Lumos," I whispered. I saw the spiders now. They were all going in the same direction. I followed them through the dark underbrush. I had no idea what to expect, but then I never had since I'd arrived in this place.   
Before I got to where the spiders were hurrying, I heard hooves coming through the woods, and a huge thing bounded up in front of me. I recognized the shape; it was a centaur. He said in a deep, wise voice, "You should not be here, little human. It is not safe for your kind in the forest."  
"Do you know where Harry Potter is? He was following the spiders, too." I felt smaller than I had when I was a bat. He was so big, and he must know so much!  
"Harry Potter has his own destiny. He was almost killed tonight, by what the spiders are seeking. But that would not be allowed. It has been written in the stars since young Potter's birth. He must confront Voldemort yet again. The time approaches."  
"Then all this - this has to do with Voldemort?"  
"Yes. And now, little one, you must go." He turned and ran into the dark wood.  
When I was back in my dormitory, I thought of how this could be. I looked again at the diary. I wanted to ask this Tom if any of this was true, and what was going on. My hand reached for a quill. What am I doing? He's the one who's doing all of this! He'll only lie to me! I shut the diary quickly. I had to remember how dangerous it was.   
The date on the diary was from fifty years ago. That's when the Chamber had been opened before. It made sense - but what did it have to do with Voldemort? And if Harry was destined to face him again, what could I, or anyone do, to prevent him from coming? I put the diary under my mattress and lay down hopelessly.  
The next time I had a chance, I went to the library and got out a book on recent magical history. I wanted to know more about Voldemort.   
His past is hardly even speculated about. Before his fall eleven years ago, no one dared ask. Even now, the entire magical community fears his name. It certainly puts a damper on research, and with his attempted return last year, no one wants to speak of him for fear of retribution. Most of the information available in the library simply chronicled the details of his reign of terror. In the early days of his influence, also, he was very secretive and kept his followers close. Most people were actually ignorant of his existence until the very time when the magical world was in his grasp. I became most interested in his wide use of the imperius curse. After Lord Voldemort's fall, they say it was practically impossible to tell who had been a loyal follower of Voldemort, and who was being controlled. Everyone denied their willing participation. But if "You-know-who" used this powerful curse so much, he must have been very familiar with it. It seemed a lot like what was happening to Ginny. Maybe this Tom person had become one of his followers.  
It sounds like an awful thing, to be controlled completely and to be forced to do horrible, cruel things. And if Voldemort was involved in this, even with his power drained, Ginny and I were in way over our heads. 


	5. Birds and Beasts

FIVE  
Birds and Beasts  
***  
Three days before exams, I went to Herbology class, to find that Ginny was looking a little bit pale. She seemed preoccupied the entire class, and kept staring at something under the table. When Professor Sprout called her name, she jumped out of her shoes, but the professor had just wanted to ask her if she was all right. Ginny said, "Yes! Yes," and continued picking threads out of the frayed edge of her sleeve.   
After class we slipped away from Professor Sprout, while she was helping up a Gryffindor boy who had tripped on his robes. Ginny looked at me with wide, frightened eyes. "I can't stand it anymore," she said. "I can feel the book pulling at me. I've got to do something! This morning at breakfast I nearly told Harry everything! At first I thought there wasn't much worse than being expelled. But this is! I have to fight..."  
Then her eyes became distant, and she wore a smug smile that looked strange on her face. She spoke in a low voice: "You have not kept me away this long by yourselves. I was merely hiding. It won't be that easy. She has given too much of herself to me." Tom put Ginny's wand to her own throat, and said, "Give me the diary, or I will kill her now."  
I didn't know what else to do. I gave her the diary.   
She ran up to the castle. When she was out of sight, I turned into a bat and followed. She went up to the corridor where the victims had been found, and began painting a message on the wall. I couldn't read it as a bat. It wasn't solid; it didn't reflect sound. I hid behind a pillar to transform once again. I looked out in horror as the words appeared before me: Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever. She had the strange grin on her face as she clutched the diary and started walking towards me. I ducked back behind the pillar. Does she see me? I shouldn't have transformed until she was gone! But then I thought I heard a door open and close. It was quiet, and I dared to look out. Ginny was gone! I noticed the bathroom door with its perpetual out-of-order sign. She must have gone in there.   
I was scared, but I needed to find out where Ginny was. I took out my wand and steadied myself to follow. Quietly I opened the door and looked in. There was no one there. "Ginny?" I whispered. I walked in. It was dead quiet. I checked all the stalls. I was suddenly unsure that she had gone in. There are many ways to disappear. But Ginny was gone! I needed help. I rushed out of the bathroom.   
I was running through a long, dark, deserted corridor, when a stern voice rang out. "Who's there?" said Professor McGonagall, as she appeared at the end of the hall. I stopped in front of her, catching my breath. "Miss Wellington!" she said, shocked. "Students roaming the halls by themselves! Is no one taking this situation seriously?" she seemed to say to the ceiling. "I'd expect it of young Potter and his friends, but you, Miss Wellington!"  
"Professor!" I said urgently. "Ginny's been taken to the chamber! She ran off after Herbology - I think a spell or something was controlling her - and I followed her to the corridor. I'm not sure where she went after that, I think it was that out of order bathroom, but, Professor, there was a message on the wall! It said, her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever!"  
"Oh, dear," the professor said quietly, her eyes wide. Then she shook herself a little, and said, "I shall have to inform the staff. All classes must be cancelled. But first I'll return you to your dormitory. Come with me."  
As we approached the little round door with its brass knocker, I asked her, "Professor McGonagall, do you know why Harry wasn't in class?"  
"He and Ron Weasley were just trying to visit Miss Granger in the hospital wing," she said sadly. "I let them go, because I know how hard it must be for the students whose friends have been attacked. I can't tell you how sorry I am that all of this had to happen." She hurried off, trying to keep from showing her distress.   
I knew where Harry was. I knew that Ginny had been taken, and maybe where the Chamber was. I had to go find him and tell him. I transformed into a bat so that I would not be stopped again, and glided through the dark corridors as fast as I could. I got to the hospital wing just in time to see Ron and Harry hurrying out. I couldn't stop and become human again for fear of losing them. They ducked into the teacher's lounge, but I didn't have time to go after them, because just as I got to the door, Professor McGonagall's voice boomed through the castle. My bat ears shook.   
She told the teachers to take the students to their dormitories, and then meet in the teachers' lounge. I wondered if I should go back, so that I wouldn't be missed. But I had to talk to Harry! I perched upside down over the door, and turned my big black ears in, so I could listen. I heard Professor McGonagall announce to the staff that Ginny had disappeared. I heard Professor Lockhart's footsteps approach, and the conversation as he entered the room. The coward! I thought. He isn't going to try to save Ginny! Neither are the others! They're all just giving up! Her only hope now is the heroic Harry - or me. I wondered what I could do, but I had to try.  
Then I was startled by a voice from beside me. "What's that? A bat? Sitting on the wall, bold as brass." It was Filch, coming along the corridor with a broom, which he suddenly lifted and waved at me. "Filthy bat!" he shouted. "We want none of your kind in here, you ugly, disgusting creature! I've got enough trouble around here without having to sweep up old bat droppings. Shoo! Get out!"  
He chased me down the corridor, and into a classroom with an open window. I tried to get past him, into the castle again, but even a smart bat couldn't do it. Filch knew what he was about. He forced me out the window, and shut it in my face.   
As I flew around the school, looking for a way back in, I thought back on the staff meeting I had heard. If McGonagall wasn't even going to try to save Ginny, what was the point in telling her what I knew about the whys, hows and whos? She just didn't know what to do, not like Dumbledore always seems to. Now that Ginny was probably dying, I wished I had told Dumbledore while I had the chance. I wished he could come back and fix everything.  
I was angry at myself for not knowing what to do, and letting this happen to my friend. I was angry at the existence of magic, for making such secret and terrible things possible. I wished I had never come to this horrid castle! I flew fast and blindly. I saw an open window in a tower, and sped in. I didn't realize what I was doing until I found myself pinned to the stone floor by a huge, sharp talon. This little flying furball was owl food!  
Stunned, I squeaked loudly, and saw the beak of a large white owl bearing down on me. I tried to get ahold of myself, and concentrate on transforming. As I started to grow, the owl flew up, startled. "Whooo?" Shaken, I took account of myself. That had been a hasty change, but I was all there, with my robes, wand, and even my schoolbag. I had had it with me when I left Herbology that morning to follow Ginny. Then I finally looked around at where I was. Hundreds of owls looked down at me with confusion in their glowing yellow eyes. The big white one edged toward me curiously, and it almost seemed to be apologizing.   
"You're Harry's owl, aren't you?" I asked, for there weren't many giant snowy owls up here. She perked up at the mention of his name. "I'm trying to help him save Ginny." I had an idea. "Could you carry a letter to Dumbledore for me? It's urgent."   
I wrote down everything I knew. Maybe he could come in time to help. If none of us came back from the chamber, he would know what happened, and who was responsible. I tied the letter to the snowy owl's leg, and sent her off with my fervent hopes.   
Then I heard a noise on the stairs, and I quickly looked for a place to hide. I watched Percy Weasley wander in with a letter in his hand, addressed to his parents. It was shaking. He must be telling them about Ginny, I thought. I had to stay quiet. Otherwise I would be caught and I would be no use to Ginny. But I didn't like spying on Percy like this. He must feel worse than anyone.   
He stood looking lost for a moment, then chose a small brown owl with black patterns on his wings. It seemed to me that he took forever just to tie the twine around its leg. Then Percy took it to the window and watched the dark owl fly away.   
As he left, I was more determined than ever to do something. I was back inside the castle. Looking up at the owls with their many hard gold eyes, and shuddering at the memory, I left the owlery and went down the stairs before I donned my own wings again.   
What could I do? What was Harry going to do? What could I do without him? I had no idea how to open the Chamber. I had no idea what to do if I suddenly came face-to-face with Voldemort, the dark lord who thousands of wizards still feared to name. 


	6. Mysteries and Memories

SIX  
Mysteries and Memories  
***  
I flapped around the castle, trying to think in my tiny bat brain. I decided that if any kind of rescue was going to be attempted, it would be near the bathroom where Ginny disappeared. I flew there. No one was outside. I changed. "Hello?" I called. I opened the door. A face popped up in front of mine. I could see the far wall through the lenses of its glasses. I nearly screamed. I told myself it was just a ghost, just like the Fat Friar. I knew him.   
"Hello!" the face said, in a sort of tone that was cheerful and mournful at the same time.   
"Excuse me," I said, "But do you happen to have seen Harry Potter in here tonight?"  
"It's always about him, isn't it?" she shrieked in my face. Then she pouted. "He went down there, if you must know," she whined, and pointed to a large hole in the wall, where a sink had once been.  
"Thank you!" I said, and I changed again and darted down the tunnel.   
I heard her behind me, crying, "Nobody ever tells me what's going on!"  
I hovered over Harry, Ron, and Professor Lockhart, flying a little way at a time and then hanging from the high, mucky ceiling. I saw something ahead of them, and was frightened for an instant, but I could hear at once that it was hollow. They were afraid of it for a minute, thinking it was the giant beastly snake they were looking for, but they realized it was only its skin. Then, as they approached it, there was a scuffle. Lockhart grabbed Ron's wand, and yelled, "Say good-bye to your memories! Obliviate!"  
There was a bang, and what I saw next nearly made me fall off the ceiling. It was supposed to have been a memory charm, but Ginny's told me about that wand. You can never really be sure what it's going to do. Ron and the professor were lying on the floor, looking dazed. Harry had been at the center of the whatever-it-was that had blasted out of Ron's wand. It hadn't exactly been a memory charm. It was more or less an explosion of magical energy. His hand had been transfigured into a lobster. His hair had become neon yellow, and was waving like seaweed. His neck was covered in green spots that had tiny faces and were whistling "Yellow Submarine."  
I had to help. This couldn't be part of Harry's destiny. He couldn't fight the monster of the chamber like that, and if Harry couldn't save Ginny, no one could!   
As I flapped down, Ron looked up and saw me. I couldn't hide it from him. As I changed back into human form, he watched, probably not sure whether what he was seeing was a by-product of whatever his wand had done to them. I ignored him and walked straight to Harry. Then Ron saw him too, and yelled. He got up shakily and came over to us. "Harry! Harry!" he said. "Are you all right?"   
First I did what I knew I could do. A lobster was a fairly simple creature, and I knew, from studying Animagi, how to return a human hand to its normal shape. I wove the spell, and it worked! I breathed a sigh of relief. Next I turned to his hair. The effect was a strange one, but I tried a simple disenchantment, and it settled down. Then the thing I was dreading. I had never encountered anything like whistling boils before. I tried the same disenchantment, and at least they stopped singing, but then they all glared at me.   
Professor Lockhart was now starting to come to. He was very confused, and yelled, "What's going on? Where am I?" He looked around nervously but muzzily, and saw me. "Miss, uh, Wilmington, what's going on here?" He seemed to remember where he was, and said, "What are you doing down here? This is not business for first-year students."   
He was still looking around worriedly at the large snakeskin and the state of his robes. I ignored him, and turned around, but then realized I needed help. I asked him, "What do you know about big green boils that glare at you?"   
He seemed to see Harry for the first time. "Oh dear," he said, "How nasty. Well, we'll just go upstairs where it's safe, and get this whole messy business sorted out."  
Ron looked up from Harry, and his eyes flashed. "YOU BIG, STUPID GIT!" he yelled. "All we're trying to do is save my sister Ginny, and you tried to put a memory spell on us! I'll kill you!"  
I ran between them and held Ron back, putting my wand point in his face for emphasis. "First, we help Harry," I said firmly. I turned my wand on the professor. "Do you know anything about the dark arts that can help us?" I asked. He looked sheepish. "I've been listening, you know. I know perfectly well you're a fraud."  
"Well," he said tentatively, "it does sort of look like Welsh dragon pox. I had that when I was young. It gets cleared right up by asparagus, but I wouldn't eat it until the whistling nearly drove me mad."  
"Ah! Thank you!" I said. "That's perfect!"  
"But where are we going to get asparagus?" asked Ron.   
"Oh, that's the easy part," I said, and I pointed my wand at some loose stones nearby, and they became slimy boiled asparagus sprouts on a blue dish. Ron looked on in amazement.   
Harry had woken up while we were arguing, and was looking balefully at the floppy vegetables. "Huh? What's happening? Why do I have to eat asparagus?"  
Just then one of the spots started whistling again, and Ron told him, "Don't ask. Just eat it. She's the only one here who knows what's going on. - Wait a minute!" Now that Harry was no longer in immediate danger, he was suddenly curious again. He turned to me with a questioning look. "How do you know what's going on, anyway? And who are you? And how did you get in here? And did you - were you - was that you flying around?"   
Harry, having determinedly swallowed his asparagus, and seeing the green spots start to disappear, turned to me as well. "Yes, who are you, and what on earth is he talking about?"   
"Wait," said Ron, "Aren't you Serena? That Hufflepuff that Ginny hangs around with?" He turned to Harry. "I saw a bat, and then it turned into Serena, and then she turned the lobster back into your hand..."   
"Are you sure you're all right, Ron?" said Harry, but he was still looking at me. "You do seem to know what's going on, Serena. What is happening?"  
"You're not a - a vampire, are you?" said Ron with wide eyes, realizing what he had seen.  
"No," I told them, "I'm not. I'm just an Animagus. I learned to turn into a bat. But that's not important. I'm just here to help save Ginny. This creep was trying to stop you, and I'm going to do something about it." I pointed my wand at him, and said, "Professor Lockhart, I can see now that you are not just a fraud, a braggart, and utterly selfish, but you would endanger the lives of others for these reasons. You need to be stopped."   
Lockhart knew that if this ever got out, he'd be a laughingstock. He couldn't let that happen! All he'd worked for, gone, like that! All because of this little twerp! He couldn't stand it if everyone knew he was a fraud! And even worse - that he'd attacked Harry Potter! And even worse - that the one thing he knew he could do, the memory charm, had failed him!   
"Miss Wellington," he said to the wand point aimed at him, "Please! You can't let this happen to me! I'm Gilderoy Lockhart! The world needs me!" He looked desperately at her.  
I looked him in the face, and tried to decide what would be just. "No one will find out about what happened down here today," I said, "If you teach me your memory charm."  
"But, but..." he said haltingly, "It's not that simple, you know. I've spent years perfecting it...."  
"You saw me turn into a bat," I said. "Trust me. I'm a fast learner."  
"But why erase my memory?"  
"I think it's the only way justice can be done," I said. "It would hurt people to know what you are, but you hurt people by being that way. You need to stop interfering with what Harry needs to do." I glared at him. "And I want to do to you what I have seen you try to do to my friends."  
"No! You can't!" he yelled desperately, and he took something out of his robes, pulling his hand back to throw it.   
"Expelliarmus," I cried, waving my wand; but I had never done the spell before, I'd only watched it demonstrated at the dueling club. My first try was pathetic, and the little bottle of grey hazy potion fell very short of my hand. It dropped nearly in front of Lockhart, where he had dropped Ron's wand when it exploded. The bottle shattered, and the grey potion sprayed out, mostly on the professor. Harry and Ron got a little on them too. But where the magical substance touched the distressed unicorn tail hair in the broken wand, it once more produced unpredictable results. The floor shook. I fell backwards into the pile of basilisk skin. I could see Harry and Ron running in opposite directions as rocks started to fall from the ceiling. One hit my head, and the tunnel went even blacker.   
When I woke up, at first I just heard voices. Ron's voice; I heard him say, "Ginny!" and then later, "The Memory Charm backfired." When things got less fuzzy, I opened my eyes to see them all being carried by a large red bird. I rubbed my eyes, and wondered what that potion had done to me. The bird was just disappearing up the pipe. I checked myself over, and I seemed to be fine. There must have been a bird. Indeed, I realized the only way to get out of this horrible place was to fly, and I was happy to have my wings ready. I was confused, but the first thing I had to do was find Ginny and see if she was really all right. I flew up the pipe, but as I reached the top, I saw the entrance to the chamber slide closed. I realized I would have to find another way out.   
Shrieking and fluttering through the maze that was the plumbing of Hogwarts castle, I looked for an opening big enough for me to squeeze through. After I had got thoroughly frustrated, I spotted a large drain, and shot out of it, right into Filch's face. It was the drain in one of his supply closets. He screamed, "Bats! They're everywhere! Get away from me, you filthy thing!" He hurriedly opened the door, and I escaped.   
As I flew through the corridors, I listened carefully for the voices I wanted to hear. Most of the students must still have been in their dormitories. It was very quiet. Then I heard them! In Professor McGonagall's office, Harry and Ron were telling the story of what happened in the Chamber. I settled myself above the doorway to listen. Just then, Ginny walked out, looking right as ever. I nearly fell off my perch with excitement. Her parents were taking her to the hospital wing. As he held the door open for them, Professor Dumbledore saw me hanging above the door. A twinkle came into his eye to see that I, too, had come out of this adventure unharmed. "You know, Minerva," he said, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"   
As she left, and Dumbledore sat down to talk with Harry and Ron, I heard Ron say again, "He tried to do a memory charm and the wand backfired." So Lockhart's memory was completely blank, and Ron didn't remember anything between the two times the wand exploded. Harry seemed to agree with this story. The potion must have been another memory eraser. That doesn't surprise me. All Gilderoy Lockhart has ever done is dazzle and confuse. No real work, and no real magic.   
As Ron left the office to see Ginny, I couldn't help myself. I had to go see her too. Everything was going to work out. It was time to celebrate!  
The feast was amazing. I've never seen anything like it. Everyone was happy, and all of the tension of the past year was being let out. No one was going to bed tonight. But I was exhausted. Turning into a bat repeatedly can do that to you. As I sat in the corner watching the celebration, Professor Dumbledore came up to me.   
"Serena. I received a certain owl from you during the events of the day. You told me you were going to try to save Ginny. And yet you do not seem to factor into the stories told by those in the chamber. I wonder if you succeeded in helping them."  
"Sir, I'd rather not say, for Ginny's sake. I don't want her to know how much I was involved."  
"Ah, the loyalty of a true Hufflepuff. Just be careful, Serena, that you do not take the justice of the world into your own hands too often. There will be some situations that you cannot see the answer to, that you cannot fix."  
"All right, sir, I'll remember." 


End file.
